Call You Tonight
by Mapping the Soul
Summary: Even tonight, Kusanagi makes his daily phone call. One-shot. WARNING: Major Character Death.


**Rating:** K+

**Warning:** M/M

**Fandom:** K Project / [K] / K

**Pairing/Relationship:** -

**Status:** Complete

**Author:** Mapping the Soul

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything.

**Summary: **Even tonight, Kusanagi makes his daily phone call.

If you read, review and/or favourite, thank you!

* * *

**Call You Tonight**

That night Kusanagi went about with his activities as per usual. Not a stand of his hair was out of place let alone his behaviour. His main problem was Yata Misaki anyway. The young one took it hard like most of them, but he was more open about it. He was verbal and violent, even more so than when the betrayal happened. However, as he did earlier in the day, the bartender used Anna both as a shield and a mirror.

Yata finally calmed down when he looked at Anna and realised that she was not making a fuss and had stopped crying. Kusanagi could not decide and definitely didn't care at that moment whether Yata had finally understood that his childish behaviour would do nothing to bring Mikoto back or whether it was a sense of rivalry that caused him to shut his mouth. He was just grateful the other source of his headache was gone. Kamamoto, with a logical head on his shoulders had offered to make sure that Yata got home safely. Kusanagi had said his thanks in a lively tone and turned to offer Anna his hand.

"Home?" She had asked.

"Yeah," he replied as he wrapped his fingers around hers. "Let's go home."

The child nodded and clenched her fingers together as they walked. Occasionally, Anna stole glances up at Kusanagi when he wasn't looking and always made sure to avert her eyes before he turned to look at her. Anna did not have to ask to know exactly what Kusanagi was thinking.

_Did his last words mean anything to Mikoto?_

_Were they enough?_

There was a whole list of habits that he'd have to drop now. Anna knew he was tossing up the ideas so she held her silence and stopped herself every time she wanted to tell him that it was okay to hurt. It would be wrong to say that they were moving along just fine but there was some truth in it. Kusanagi expected it to happen and Anna, she just knew, somehow, as always. They had also experienced it once and that was very close to home as well.

Like it did then, the world around them went on without a care. Both the child and the bartender had learnt to keep it all in and blend in with the world around them. Anna rarely spoke and Kusanagi was always cool and level-headed. It was no longer habit, just nature and they did well at keeping up with that.

"Stop." Anna said suddenly and gave the bartender a knock back into reality.

He glanced around and looked down at her with a measly smile, "Sorry. Almost went past it, huh?"

She gave him a very small nod and pulled the bartender back a step and then through the doors. As soon as they were on safe grounds, the child pulled away. She did like Kusanagi but right now, she wanted some solace of her own. This place was home and she'd always return but it would still take some time before she could completely get used to the fact that it was going to emptier, colder and quieter. The more important one was getting used to the new sight. She would never see that beautiful red of HOMRA anymore.

"Anna?"

The child stood at the base of the stairs and broken ruby eyes answered him. When he gave the okay, she turned back and waltzed away. Standing before his counter with eyes darting around the place, he listened carefully for her light footsteps. He heard the little creak and felt relief wash over him as he registered what exactly she was doing. He could tell that she was now curled up on the soft mattress and trying her best to catch some sleep and maybe, just to stop _thinking_.

Kusanagi stared at the collection of Western alcohol on the shelf behind the counter and studied the rest of his bar in their reflection. Briefly, he recalled Mikoto, Anna and Totsuka on the couch behind him and a sigh escaped his lips. Shaking himself free of the image, the bartender mixed himself a drink and set it on the counter but barely touched it. After the ice melted away, the bartender left his drink behind to go and check up on the child.

At the door of the bedroom, he peaked inside and waited for Anna to turn. He knew she would. The ruby eyes pierced through him and she looked at him as if he were almost transparent. It was always hard to hide things from Anna but just this once, he hoped that she wasn't trying to find out.

"Anna… did you want to give your aunt a call?"

The child parted her lips but then closed them with a light nod.

"Then, just use the landline there." He smiled, "I'll be downstairs if you need anything else."

Anna turned towards the phone and watched from her peripheral vision as Kusanagi closed the door again. She picked up the landline and punched in the numbers, knowing that soon enough the bartender would be repeating her actions. When he reached the base of the stairs he left the door ajar and stepped out of his bar for a smoke. After the first exhale, the bartender took the PDA from his pocket and examined his contact list carefully. The question popped up again.

_Should he delete the number now that no one will pick up?_

But in Mikoto's case, everything was _different_. The red Aura had disappeared but there was nothing left behind to confirm their King's death. Holding hope in that, Kusanagi Izumo decided to push his decision back. Finger hovering over Mikoto's name, the bartender thought about what he would say and what would be good to report. Every step that he took to pressing the call button followed the same pattern that had developed when he decided that he would call and report to their King.

Kusanagi held onto a very thin rope of hope when the ringing started. Whenever he called the King in the past, he never had to worry. Mikoto always picked up the phone, even if it was at the very last second of the final ring. Therefore, this phone call was the most nerve-wracking of them all. After all, he could not call the man to tell him that he was dead.

The sound of the ringing ripped into his heart little by little as it dragged on. It seemed distant as he zoned in and out but he could tell that the final ring was coming. He was used to the duration he'd have to wait for Mikoto to answer but this time it really did hurt. Just as the bartender dropped a sigh, the ringing stopped and there was a small clicking sound that vibrated in his ear. Kusanagi stopped thinking and breathing as he waited for something to happen. There was a shuffling sound that made the bartender's eyes widen. He wanted to speak but was cut off by the slow, lazy and indifferent voice that he knew too well.

_"Suoh Mikoto."_

The bartender's heart froze for a fraction of a second and then beat faster than he'd ever felt it. He parted his lips while his mind ran wild with thoughts of the possibility that this was reality. It had to be. That was their King's voice. Kusanagi took a deep breath and tossed his smoke aside. Exhaling slowly, he steadied his steps as he turned towards the entrance of the bar and gathered enough air to lecture and scream the man younger than himself. King or not, they were still friends.

"Mi—"

A sigh cut him off and he waited.

_"Leave a message."_

A loud beep followed and his hands dropped to his side. He scoffed once and then burst into a chuckle. The King had him. He did not know whether he should loathe his best friend for the shock or thank him for the surprise. Mikoto had played the last card well. He always made sure to pick up the phone and so the voicemail was truly a surprise. It was something like a gift—if only he could find it. He hung up shortly after and made a mental note that when granted the chance, he'd do both and do them well. Soon after, Anna poked her head out the door with a very dim smile. When he smiled at her, she took a step out and stood under the stars.

"Are you going?" She questioned, "To find it."

"Yeah," he nodded and extended a hand, "Want to come?"

She wrapped her small fingers around his and returned the gesture.

"You know, Mikoto said that your reaction would be just like that."

_Fin._


End file.
